Attachable scupper drain



Aug. 9, 1966 c. E. STEVENS ATTACK-[ABLE SCUPPER DRAIN Filed April 13, 1965 INVENTOR. CLINTON E. STEVf/VS ATTORNEY United States Patent "ice 3,265,030 ATTACHABLE SCUPPER DRAIN Clinton E. Stevens, 122 Woodlawn Ave., Collingswood, NJ.

Filed Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,715 1 Claim. (Cl. 114182) This invention relates to -scupper drains and more particularly to a scupper drain to be attached to the side of a ship at a scupper or bilge opening for delivering the bilge from the ship to or below the level of the water.

Diiiiculties have been encountered, particularly when a ship is tied up at a dock, because of the discharge of bilge onto the dock or onto stevedores engaged in loading or unloading the ship, or onto cargo on the dock. This is not only unsanitary but has produced bad relations with the dock owners, and persons employed in and about the dock.

The discharge of bilge down the side of the ship also interferes with painting because of the intermittent wet and soiled condition which prevails and prevents the proper application of paint below the bilge openings.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a scupper drain for use at the bilge discharge openings of a ship for conducting the discharged fluid materials away from the ship below the water line or into a sewage pipe on the dock.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scupper drain which may be quickly and easily applied at the bilge discharge opening on the exterior of a ship and by which the bilge, including sewage from toilets, will be confined and conducted downwardly for controlled discharge into the water along side of the ship or into a sewage pipe on the dock.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scupper drain which may be quickly and easily applied to the skin or exterior wall of a ship at the bilge opening, with which a waterproof seal against the exterior surface of the plate forming part of the wall of the ship may be quickly and easily effected, and which can be readily removed when desired.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scupper drain which is simple and sturdy in construction, has a minimum number of parts, and which will be free from operating difficulties.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a scupper drain which includes, as components thereof, an elbow fitting for engagement with the skin of the ship, securing devices engageable in the bilge opening and exteriorly controllable, and a flexible tubular conduit connected to the fitting for bilge discharge, and particularly for sewage from toilets.

Other objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the specification and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be more readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation and as seen from the exterior of a ship showing the scupper drain in place;

FIG. 2 is an interior view in elevation of the scupper drain in place, parts being broken away to show the details of construction;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, enlarged, taken approximately on the line 4--4 of FIG. 3.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are illustrative merely, and that various modifications and changes may be made in the structure disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Patented August 9, 1966 Referring. now more particularly to the drawings, in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated, a fragmentary portion of the skin or side wall of a ship is indicated at 10 and is shown as made of plate. The side wall 10 has a bilge discharge opening 11 therethrough to which the bilge is delivered, for discharge, by any suitable fluid connection 12.

The scupper drain in accordance with the invention includes an elbow fitting 14 generally circular in cross section with a turn and with a groove 15 at one end 16 thereof for the reception of a packing ring 17 which is held in place by rivets 18. The packing ring 17 can be of any desired material which is resilient, rubber, natural or synthetic being suitable. The pack-ing ring 17 engages the outer face 19 of the wall 10 to provide a fluid tight connection at this location. The size of the fitting 14 and the diameter of the end 16 can be varied as desired and to accommodate bilge openings of 8", 10" and 12" diameter.

The lower end 20 of the fitting 14 has a rim 20a and has a flexible tube 21 secured thereto in any desired manner such as by means of a strap clamp 22 having a tightening screw 23.

The flexible tube. 21 can be of any desired material which is strong and light in weight, polyethylene being suitable. The length of the tube 21 is preferably such as to extend below the water line to effect delivery of the bilge below the surface of the water and thereby facilitate its disposal or to eliect delivery into a sewage pipe on the dock.

In order to attach the fitting 14 with the packing ring 17 in engagement with the face 19, a control rod 25 is provided having a tapered head 26 adjustably carried on a threaded end 27 thereof.

Oppositely extending arms 28 pivotally connected by pivot pins 29 to a mounting head 30 are provided. The head 30 is freely movable with respect to the rod 25. The arms 28 have interior faces 31 engaged by the head 26 to force the same outwardly and the arms 28 have pointed ends 32 which engage on opposite sides of the opening 11.

The control rod 25 extends through an opening 14a in the elbow fitting 14 and has a threaded end portion 33 with a wing nut 34 thereon. A flat face 35 is provided on the exterior of the fitting 14 for engagementby the wing nut 34. An enlargement 36 is provided on the rod 25 which limits the outward movement of the mounting head 30 while permitting drawing of the rod 25 outwardly.

Upon tightening of the wing nut 34 against the face 35 of the fitting 14 the rod 25 is drawn outwardly, the tapered head 26 urging the arms 28 outwardly to holding positions. The head 26 can have slots 37 for the reception of the arms 28 to prevent relative turning therebetween.

Any bilge from the fluid connection 12 is guided and directed by the fitting 14 downwardly and into the tube 21 for discharge.

The fitting 14 can be readily removed by loosening the wing nut 34 and forcing the control rod 25 inwardly to permit the arms 28 to release their gripping engagement.

The end 16 of the fitting 14 can then be disengaged from the face 19 and removed. Even if the fitting 14 is overlooked and not removed and the ship leaves the dock, the tube 21 may be severed but can be readily replaced when desired. The fitting 14 will not prevent the normal discharge of bilge while the ship is at sea.

It will thus be seen that simple but effective apparatus has been provided for attaining the objects of the invention.

I claim:

A scupper drain for detachable connection to an up- 3 right wall having a discharge opening therethrough terminating at an outer face and surrounded by a bounding surface comprising a-fitting having an upper horizontally disposed end with a vetrical marginal portion and a lower downwardly disposed end with a confined interior passageway therebetween, said vertical marginal portion having an end groove with a resilient packing therein for engagement with said outer face, Y an elongated flexible downwardly extending tube secured to said downwardly disposed end, a horizontally disposed control rod extending through a wall portion of said fitting, said control rod having a tapered head thereon interiorly disposed in said fitting, a mounting member on said rod and having pivotally mounted arms thereon with portions engageable by said tapered head for impelling said arms outwardly,

said tapered head and said arms having interengaging 20 portions preventing relative rotation of said tapered head and said arms, said arms each having a pointed terminal end portion for engagement with said bounding surface in gripping relation thereto,

said rod having an enlarged member thereon engaging said fitting and with which said mounting member is in engagement, and

said r-od having a wing nut thereon exteriorly of said fitting and engaging said fitting for positioning said rod and the head thereon and thereby said arms and said terminal end portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,221,901 4/1917 Pearch 285-191 2,428,381 10/1947 Parry 285191X 2,679,338 5/1954 Stevens 114 1s2x FOREIGN PATENTS 963,878 6/1963 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner. 

